After a decade out of the spotlight, Brendan Fraser has become Hollywood’s next comeback hero with his starring role in The Whale, which just premiered at the Venice Film Festival to resounding praise. This list will focus on ten more actors that were struggling to get roles before breaking out in a big way.
Whether it was their first big break, a mid-career trajectory change, or a late-career resurgence, each of these actors drastically changed their fortune thanks to one iconic role.
Robert Downey Jr. – 'Iron Man' (2008)
It may seem unfathomable now, but Robert Downey Jr. was once struggling to find roles. Downey is very open about his battles with addiction, which started when he was just 8 years old. These battles reached a boiling point in 1999 when he was sentenced to three years in prison. Four years later, RDJ fell in love with Hollywood producer Susan Levin, who gave him an ultimatum to give up the drugs. Thankfully, it worked. Downey stayed sober and the two married in 2005.
However, when he announced that he was ready to work again, the former Oscar nominated actor was largely avoided by producers. Though he was able to secure some smaller roles and eventually land Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) and Zodiac (2007), most studios were still wary of casting him. In fact, director Jon Favreau had to fight for RDJ to get casted in Iron Man, as Marvel Studios viewed him as too big of a risk. Fortunately, Favreau wore them down and the rest is history. RDJ was the face of the franchise for a decade and has had little difficulty finding work ever since.
John Travolta – 'Pulp Fiction' (1994)
With hits like Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Grease (1978), John Travolta was Hollywood’s biggest star in the late-1970s. But Travolta’s 80s movies mostly flopped with critics and at the box office. Entering the 90s, he struggled to break his image as a teen heart throb in romance/musicals, presenting a dilemma as he began to age.
His fame had evaporated until Quentin Tarantino gave him the call to star as a mobster in Pulp Fiction in 1994. Travolta resurrected his career with a standout performance in the classic, catapulting him back to the A-list, going on to star in Get Shorty (1995), Face/Off (1997), and Primary Colors (1998).
Sigourney Weaver – 'Alien' (1979)
After graduating from Yale in 1974, Sigourney Weaver struggled to find a footing in Hollywood. It took three years to nab her first film, a non-speaking role in Annie Hall, and she only appeared in one other movie prior to 1979. Everything changed when the then-30-year-old played the lead character of Ellen Ripley in Ridley Scott’s sci-Fi/horror classic Alien. Although the studio wanted a star, Scott insisted on casting an unknown actress.
His gamble paid off, as Weaver delivered a BAFTA-nominated performance and gained immediate fame. The movie spawned numerous sequels, three of which starred Weaver, even earning the actor an Oscar nomination for Aliens (1986). She also starred in Ghostbusters (1984), Working Girl (1988), and Gorillas in the Mist (1988), the latter two also earning her Oscar nominations. More recently, she's starred in Galaxy Quest (1999), Holes (2003), Avatar (2009), and its upcoming sequel Avatar: The Way of Water (2022).
Harrison Ford – 'Star Wars' (1977)
Over his first ten years in the industry, Harrison Ford was limited to smaller parts and worked part-time as a carpenter to pay the bills. His fortune changed when he befriended George Lucas on the set of American Graffiti (1973), as he was later hired to star in Lucas’ next film, a little movie called Star Wars (1977). Ford’s suave and charisma made Han Solo a fan favorite and helped propel the film to unparalleled success.
This enormous popularity skyrocketed Ford to the A-List, landing him the role of Indiana Jones and starring roles in Blade Runner (1982), Witness (1985), Patriot Games (1992), The Fugitive (1993), and Air Force One (1997).
Amy Adams – 'Junebug' (2005)
Amy Adams made her film debut in 1999 with a supporting role in Drop Dead Gorgeous. She also had a role in Catch Me If You Can in 2002, but otherwise was confined to smaller parts. That is until a breakout role in 2005’s Indie darling Junebug convinced her to stay in Hollywood.
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While the film made under $4 million at the box office, Adams was praised for her tremendous performance and nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. This landed her a role as Jim’s girlfriend in Season 2 of The Office and the ball kept rolling from there. Fast-forward to today and Adams is a two-time Golden Globe winner, six-time Academy Awards nominee, and widely regarded as one of the best in the industry.
Robert Pattinson – 'Good Time' (2017)
Robert Pattinson rose to stardom as Edward in the uber-popular Twilight franchise. However, these films were bashed by critics, and Pattinson wasn't taking seriously within the industry. He wanted to move on to serious roles but found it hard to avoid being typecasted. He was overlooked by the major studios but worked his way back into their good graces by starring in critically praised independent films. Now, he's fresh off starring in two of the biggest blockbusters of the 2020s: Christopher Nolan’s Tenet (2020) and Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022).
The film that kicked off his renaissance was Good Time (2017), in which Pattinson plays a bank robber in a downward spiral. The role was vastly different from Pattinson’s prior work and showed he had serious talent and range. The movie received overwhelming praise, with Pattinson gaining numerous acting nominations. This drastically changed the trajectory of his career, which he maintained with roles in The Lighthouse (2019), The King (2019), High Life (2019), and The Devil All the Time (2020).
Michael Keaton – 'Birdman' (2014)
Michael Keaton became a star in the 1980s after Mr. Mom (1983) and Beetlejuice (1984), but his fame reached its peak when he took on the role of Batman in 1989 and 1992. However, Keaton decided to hang the cape prior to a third movie due to creative differences with director Joel Schumacher, after which he seemingly faded from the mainstream. His roles following Batman were so unmemorable that Barack Obama greeted him in 2012 by asking, “Why don’t you make more movies?”
His career was fading until a massive resurgence kicked off in 2014, with his Golden Globe winning performance in Alejandro Iñárritu's Best Picture winner, Birdman. The role of a washed-up actor that used to play a superhero was tailor-made for Keaton, and he delivered his best performance. He hasn’t looked back since, starring in 2015's Best Picture winner Spotlight, and following that up with The Founder (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020), and an Emmy-winning performance in Dopesick (2021).
Kathy Bates – 'Misery' (1990)
In 1971, Kathy Bates was cast in her first feature film, a minor role in Taking Off. Her next came seven years later, with a supporting role in Straight Time. Following this, she continued to struggle, later claiming in an interview with the New York Times that multiple casting agents told her that she wasn't attractive enough to be a successful actress.
She proved them wrong with a jaw-dropping performance in the 1990 horror film Misery. It was a huge success and her performance was the main topic of conversation, winning the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Actress. This role cemented her on the A-list, securing roles in Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Dolores Clairborne (1995), and Titanic (1997).
Sylvester Stallone – 'Rocky' (1976)
Nobody belongs on this list more than Sylvester Stallone. In 1975, he was homeless with only $106 in the bank, and even had to sell his dog for $40 to afford food. Nowadays, Stallone is regarded as one of the most successful actors of all time. It’s all thanks to Rocky (1976).
Stallone’s script about a small-time boxer who takes on the world heavyweight champion immediately impressed producers. However, they wanted a bigger star in the role, with United Artists even offering Stallone $340,000 to sell the script without starring in it. But Stallone wouldn’t budge and eventually they relented. Rocky was made for under $1 million, but became a huge hit, grossing $225 million. The film won Best Picture and Stallone was nominated for Best Actor and Best Screenplay. He played the character seven more times and also led the Rambo and Expendables franchises.